148 & SURVEY OF THE 
extraordinary scene, for which Y was indebted to the earliness of the 
season, and unusual quantity of snow which has fallen this year.—. 
When I got footing at the stream, (here only a large pace’ wide), 
it was’ some time: ‘before I could discern any thing, on account 
eof the darkness of the place, made more so by the thick steams 
but having some'white lights with me, I fired them, and by their glare 
was able to see and admire the curious domes of snow over head; these 
are caused by the hot ‘steam niclting the snow over it. ‘Some of these: 
excavations are very spacious, resembling vaulted’ roofs of marble; and 
the snow, as it melts, falls in showers, like heavy rain, tothe stream which 
appears to: owe’its-origin in a ereat measure to these supplies. Having 
only a short scaled thermometer with me, I could not ascertain the pre-- 
cise heat of the spring, but it was too hot to bear the finger in for more 
thah two seconds, and must be near the boiling point.—Rice boiled in 
it, but imperfectly. —The range of springs is very extensive, but I could 
not visit them all, as the rest are in dark recesses and snow caverns.— 
The water of them rises up with great ebullition through crevices of the 
granite rock, and deposits a feruginous sediment, of which I collected 
some ;—it is tasteless, and I did not perceive any peculiar smell, Hot 
springs are frequent in:the Himdlaya, perhaps they may be a provision of 
hature, to ensure a supply of water to the heads of the rivers in the 
winter season, when the sun can have little or no power of melting the 
snows in those deep. defiles, 
From near this place, the line of the course of the Jumna is perceptible 
downward to near Lak’ha Maidal, and is 55 40S. west. It will be 
